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| Tulia Rally To Mark '99 Drug Sting |
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Posted by FoM on July 21, 2001 at 14:37:16 PT By Greg Cunningham Source: Amarillo Globe-News 
A rally scheduled for Sunday is attracting a veritable who's who of state and national crusaders for drug policy reform and social justice.The gathering, dubbed the Never Again Rally, will be at 6 p.m. in Conner Park and will commemorate the second anniversary of the 1999 drug sting that came after a long undercover investigation. The sting resulted in the arrests of 46 people, 43 of whom were black. Alan Bean, who helped organize the rally and is a member of the local support group Friends of Justice, said the gathering will feature 24 speakers, several of them prominent drug policy reformers, as well as local residents affected by the drug sting. The rally is intended to help keep the focus on the drug busts, as well as the consequences of the drug war nationally, Bean said. "I felt that it is the perfect way to signal to everyone involved that the story isn't going away, that our concerns are as legitimate today as they were before," Bean said. "We also want to show that the local black community in particular hasn't lost heart and will continue to fight against this injustice." The rally will be preceded by a freedom ride from Austin, which will leave in buses at midnight Saturday. The buses will stop in Plainview at 1 p.m. for a vigil outside the prison protesting the number of non-violent drug offenders being held there. The buses then will proceed to Tulia. The Tulia rally will kick off with a concert featuring children who lost parents to jail terms, as well as other local performers. The speakers will start at 7 p.m., Bean said. The roster of speakers includes Kevin Zeese, co-founder of the Drug Policy Foundation and president of Common Sense for Drug Policy, and Will Harrell, executive director of the Texas chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union. The keynote address will be given by the Rev. Edwin Sanders II, senior servant and founder of the Metropolitan Interdenominational Church in Nashville, Tenn., and director of Religious Leaders for a More Compassionate Drug Policy. Source: Amarillo Globe-News (TX) Related Articles & Web Sites: A.C.L.U. Common Sense For Drug Policy Panhandle Town's Drug War Reveals Disparity Justice Department To Probe Tulia Bust Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help |
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